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(No Modem' No. 396,711. Patented Jan. 22, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

FRANCIS II. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO THE PRATT & )VHITNEY COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CON- NECTICII T.

GUM-Box FOR ENvELoPE-'MAci-nnias.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,7' 11, datedJanuary 22, 1889.

Application filed November l5, 1886. Serial No. 218,873. (No model.)

To all whom 711; may con/00772,:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS l'l. RICHARDS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the countyof Hampden and l State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Gum-Boxes for Envelope-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the gn 11i-boxes used on envelope-machines,the object being to furnish a more complete and convenient apparatus foradj Austin the scraper and for quickly throwing the saine away from theroll to remove obstructions without disturbing the adjustlnent.

To this end thc invention consists in the Aiinprovenicnts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure l is an end elevation of a gum-box embodying my improvements.Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation partiallyin section. Fig. 4.- is a partial end elevation showing the scraperthrown back. for removal of obstructions. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal sectionof one corner of the box, showing the preferred construction ofV theeccentric operating the swinging (or sliding) frame which carries the 3oscraper. Fig. G is a partial end elevation showing a' modification oftheapparatus. Fig. 7 is a rear side elevation of the same, one end beingbroken away. Fig. 8 shows a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig.0.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

The gum box proper, for containing the gum solution, is of the usualdescription, it being a plain rectangular-sided box, il, having suchAproportions as are required by the machine in which this apparatus is tobe used. This box is furnished with the ordinary roll, R, which issupposed to be provided with suitable means for rotating it in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 3. On the rear (or righthand) side of thebox (see Figs. 1 to 4i, inclusive) there is a laterally-movable frame,F, which carries the scraper. This is a plate, C,

in the nature of a broad lever, adjustably mounted on the upper side ofsaid frame.

Both the frame and scraper should be made to iit closely (after theusual manner of fitting gum-box Scrapers) between the ends of the box,as shown, for instance, in Fig. 2. The swinging frame F is pivoted at i,and is operated by means of a crank-pin, 5, formed on the short shaft 6and working in a slot, 7, formed in said frame. Said shaft G turns in abearing formed in the box and is operated by a handle, 8, as will bereadily understood 6o from Figs. 2 and 5. For retaining that shaft inits bearing it has a groove, 9, formed around it, into which iits thepoint of screw 10, Fig.

5. By turning the crank over to the left hand of the axis of said shaftthe frame is held in its working posit-ion, yand by throwing the crankto the right hand the frame is swung out, as in Fig. L1-.

The scraper is ad j ustably and rigidly mounted on the frame, asfollows: The top of 7o the frame has a concave groove formed therein, asshown in end view at 13, Fig. 3, and the scraper has a convex rib, 11,fitting said groove.v The center of the circle of said rib and groove isabout at the upper surface of 75 the scraper, which is bored through attwo or more points of its length for the holdingscrews 15. These aremade wit-h a spherically-formed head, as shown, the center of the spherecoinciding substantially with the axis 8o of the said concave and convexsurfaces. This arrangement (the scraper being bored larger than the body16, Fig. 3, of said screws) allows the scraper to swing on the frame andyet remain closely held thereto. For the pur- 8 5 pose of adjusting saidscraper by thus swinging it, I provide opposing sets of screws arrangedas follows: One set, 18 1S, pass through the frame and screw into thescraper. These act to draw down the outer end of it. The 9o other set,17 17 17, screw into the frame and act against the scraper, tending tothrow it up. Thus one set checks the other, and bctween them both anydesired adjustment within a limited range may be given the scraper, thisbeing set, of course, when the frame is in its working position, tobring the scraper-edge 19 the correct distance from roll R.

The frame F, instead of swinging, as de- 1o@ scribed, maybe constructedto slide, as in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. Here said frame consists in a plate,P, mounted on the shelf L, it being held thereon by screws 2l, workingin slots in said shelf, to insure the necessary parallelism of themotion. Anl ordinary traversing screw, 22, operated by crank 23, isprovided to operate the sliding frame, while one or more fixed stops,24, serve to limit its movement toward the roll. This Vform oflaterally-m ovable if rame, like the swinging one, may be actuated bythe above-described crank, as shown in Fig. S; but this device isbelieved to be most suitable ior operating the swinging vform of theframe. In all cases, however, the forward position of the frame issupposed to be a fixed and unvarying working position,which is not to bechanged for adjusting the scraper.

The operation of the apparatus, it is thought. will be fully understoodfrom the drawings and preceding description. The frame F being in itsworking position, as in Figs. 3 and 6, the scraper is next adjusted andthe box supplied with gum and operated as may be required. Anyobstruction, as a piece of paper or an undissolved bit of gum, beingdrawn in between the roll and scraper, the operator grasps the handle S,(or handle 23,) and turning shaft 6 swings the frame back, as in Fig'.4, when the obstruction may be removed and the frame reset without inthe least disturbing the scraper-ad j u stm ent. This long stroke orquick adjustmenty serves, as stated, For

the removal of obstructions, while the line adjustment of the plate C onthe frame P or F regulates the amount of clear space between the saidscraper C and the roll R when the parts are in their working positions.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination andarrangement, in a gum-box and with the roll R thereof, of the movablescraper-carrying frame having a .fixed stroke toward and from the roll,the scraper adjustably mounted rigidly on said frame and free of saidroll, the actuatinghandle .having a forward and backward movement, andconnecting mechanism, substanti ally as described, operating said framefrom said handle, all substantially as shown and set 'fort-h.

2. The combination, in a gum-box, of the box and its roll, the'laterally-.movable frame carrying the adj ustably-mounted scraper andhaving'slot "7, and shaft 6, journaled in said boX and having acrank-pin working in said slot, substantially as set forth.

3. rlhe combination of a frame having a concave groove, the scraper C,having rib 1l fitting' said grooves and bored to receive screws l5, andthe spherical-headed screws l5, all substantially as set forth.

FRANCIS II. RICHARDS.

\\'itnesses:

GEO. W. BRAKE, GEO. A. REYNOLDS.

